


Taako's Good Right Here

by skelebonez



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Ango is a mischievous lil shit, Candlenights, Dadvitz, M/M, Post-Canon, Taako and Krav adopted Angus because i said so, Taako doesnt talk about his feelings, Wholesome, aka what Taako does best, and alot if them, angst only if you squint reeeeeally hard, but he has them, canon typical cursing, cue the i just found out both my dads are gay vine, i supply the taakitz cooking content, just some domestic taakitz fluff with Angus, lots of familial wholesomeness, man i just want my three favourite boys to be happy, post story and song, taakitz, yeah its basically just toothrotting fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28238793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skelebonez/pseuds/skelebonez
Summary: Family is a word that has scared Taako for far too long.
Relationships: Angus McDonald & Taako, Kravitz & Angus McDonald, Kravitz & Angus McDonald & Taako, Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 60





	Taako's Good Right Here

**Author's Note:**

> It's me, cha'boi Bonez.
> 
> This was written under the guise of it being a Candlenights Taakitz exchange, but is almost entirely self-indulgent. Tags explain it all. Post canon Taako and Kravitz have adopted Ango McDango and obscene amounts of domestic fluff and feelings ensue. I'm bad with summaries.
> 
> My biggest pet peeve in fanfics are speech patterns that aren't even similar to the characters they're trying to portray, so I tried my best to capture the stutters and self-cut offs and language that the boys use and that the characters use in turn.
> 
> Also, I'm aware that the title is cheesy and probably overused. It was titled "Warmth" in my notepad but I decided against it last moment and opted for the easier option because I'm a laaaa-zy sack of shit.
> 
> I might someday turn this into an entire post-canon series, but for now, this is all I can offer.

A lot can happen in four years. The rebuilding efforts in Neverwinter, as well as around the world, had paid off dutifully. A gorgeous, bustling, happy city stands once again where rubble and ruins in the wake of the Hunger's brutal invasion had hit. It was arguably better than the city that stood before the assault.

In four years, a family that had existed for a hundred years had mended and was once again happy. That found family grew beyond belief, absorbing and assimilating new members like a sponge. And soon, that family would be all together in celebration. This would be the first Candlenights celebration in years where they would all be together; Davenport had come back to visit from his life at sea. They weren't a whole family without him — it never truly felt complete.

This was also the first Candlenights where Angus McDonald — world's greatest detective, recent university graduate and now professor — was home. Truly home. After the day of Story and Song, he hopped between staying with Lucretia to be close to the school he attended and staying in a cramped, on-campus dormitory. Neither felt like home. But, since graduating at age 13, he's finally found it.

After seizing a teaching opportunity from an old friend at Taako's Amazing School of Magic, the school's namesake (and technically a former coworker to Angus), Taako and his partner Kravitz had opted to take the boy in just under a year ago. When proposed with the idea of essentially adopting the boy genius, Taako was very, well, _Taako_ about it. He feigned disinterest and didn't let anyone know how much he truly cared for the boy. He accepted with a begrudged-sounding " _Fine_ ", but he'd never admit the soft spot that lay in his heart when it came to Angus.

Kravitz took to it fairly quickly. He and Angus got along very well, although Taako attributed it to the fact that they were both "into all that nerd ass shit." He often told him stories about his centuries of being head of the Raven Queen's charge, or taught him small tricks he's picked up, or just took him to new and exciting places. They enjoyed talking to one another on not only an intellectual level, but an emotional bonding one as well. And, for being the Grim Reaper, it shouldn't have brought him near to tears when just a few months into his stay, Angus called Kravitz his father figure.

The couple, whether Taako would say it or not, loved Angus as though he were their son. And Angus, whether or not he'd admit it, would discreetly sign all of his notes as Angus Taaco.

And right now the three were in the kitchen of their beautifully built home. It wasn't massive. Taako used to boast about wanting a big showy mansion, lined in gold with big, gaudy, silk curtains. He was all talk though, as Taako truly didn't care much for unused space. Despite this, it was still big; two stories, three bedrooms, an office for Kravitz' paperwork, a basement complete with a pool table, a well-furnished living space, two bathrooms and — most importantly to Taako — a masterful kitchen of which was fit for the greatest chefs. It was fit for Taako. They even had a small pool in the backyard, which was currently frozen over in the winter chill.

The walls of the living room were peppered with framed pictures of their family. It was Kravitz' idea, specifically after Angus moved in. He went into a longwinded monologue about how a picture can hold a moment, frozen in time and how important they were (of which Angus admittedly only half listened and Taako even less than that.) Even still, they were happy to see the smiling faces of everyone they cared for as they made their way through their home. A lot of the pictures, unsurprisingly, had either Taako, or Kravitz, or both, or one of their many many family members such as Lup or Barry or Magnus. One thing that nearly every picture had in common was Angus, in the middle, front and centre. Right where he deserved to be. It wasn't until Angus' arrival that Taako would finally call this house that he had lived in for a few years, his home.

"I shit you not, Krav." Taako threatlessly scorned, with not a drop of bitterness or malice in his words. He waved a wooden spatula vaguely in his boyfriend's direction, then down towards the giggling Angus and narrowed his eyes at the duo overdramatically. "I- listen, if I have to guard this ham with my goddamn LIFE, I will. You two've already had enough; _surely_ you can wait till tonight for the Candlenights dinner."

Kravitz, slowly and purposefully unstealthy, palmed a piece that he had picked from the ham over to Angus, who accepted with a wide grin and took a bite. This earned them another glare from the elf, which sent them both into peals of laughter. Taako couldn't help but crack a grin as well, looking fondly as he did so. The two were covered in white powder, icing and a doughy mix; Taako had THOUGHT it would be a good idea to put the two on cake duty whilst he prepared everything else, but the disastrous state of his countertops and kitchen table clearly disagreed.

"On the contrary, sir," Angus piped up, mouth still full of the thieved ham, "it would be an insult to your excellent cooking skills if you didn't let us taste test the food. For good measure."

Kravitz put a hand on the boy's shoulder, definitely totally 100% not chewing on another stolen food item. He cleared his throat to awfully disguise the fact that he has just scarfed down another morsel of a heavenly bread roll. "Ango is right, darling. If-" He took a moment to swallow. "If you can't trust our opinion, whose can you trust?" Angus nodded as though this were a diplomatic discussion and not just some ploy to eat some of Taako's distinguished cooking.

"Don't 'darling' me, Skeletor." Taako shifted his weight to one foot as he crossed his arms. He shot Kravitz an inquisitive yet accusing glance. "There needs to _be_ food left for the dinner, and- gods- I know good and damn well that if I leave you chucklefucks unsupervised, you two will hark the entire fuckin' menu down before we even get ready to leave!" He opened his mouth again to sarcastically remark about big bad Kravitz being a bad influence on the poor baby Ango but was swiftly cut off by the ring of a timer.

"Are my cookies done?!" Angus excitedly rushed closer to the oven, nearly vaulting over the kitchen island and almost too antsy to stay in his skin. Taako wordlessly put a hand out to curtail him, then flicked his wrist towards the counter. Taako could've sworn he was the 5 stages of grief flash through the boy's eyes as he stopped in his tracks.

It took Angus a moment to realize what Taako meant — which was just a moment longer than it should've taken for the quote-unquote World's Greatest Detective — but when it hit him, he ran over to the counter and slipped on a pair of oven mitts enthusiastically. "You do the honour, little man." Taako lilted as he opened the hatch to the large stove. There were a bunch of different foodstuffs still cooking, but Angus' pan of cookies lay in the middle, front and centre. Right where they deserved to be.

Angus endured the intense warmth that wafted from the oven and retrieved his prize: a trey chalked full of above-average gingerbread cookies that Angus made all by himself, with a bit of helpful instruction from Taako of course. He carefully placed the scorching pan on the counter and marvelled at his creations. Even Taako looked over them in quieted awe. They weren't perfect; they were shaped oddly and none of them matched. Some were much too big, others too small. Some were just a tad burnt and one of them looked as though it had cracked in the cooking process. In the centre of the pan was one cookie that was vaguely in the shape of a man, if you squint hard enough at least; Angus had insisted on shaping it himself instead of using a cookie-cutter. They didn't look perfect, nowhere near as pleasing to the eye as Angus had initially hoped, but he still looked at them in entranced astonishment.

It was like their family. No one matched; different races and shapes and sizes, rough around the edges, some were just so emotionally damaged, but they were beautiful and perfect and Angus loved them.

The deft of the Reaper attempted to snag a cookie and was just as quickly swiped away by Angus. "Hands off! They aren't even cooled off yet!" Angus shot a softened glare at Kravitz, who stands there smiling with no words in defence.

"NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL!" Taako threw his hands up in an overdramatic manner, then let them swiftly fall back to his side in animated defeat. Kravitz responded by wrapping his arms swiftly around his partner's waist from behind and rocking him side to side.

Kravitz couldn't contain the shit-eating grin that smeared across his face as he cooed in a pity-mocking tone: "Woe is Taako, Flirter of Death and maker of the best cheesecake in all of Faerûn." His lips planted softly against the elf's freckled cheek, who leaned into the touch.

"In all of the _planar systems_ , Krav. I did NOT hop from reality to reality and save the goddamn world to only have the best cheesecake in _Faerûn_ , m'man." His lithe hands moved to rest on Kravitz' much broader ones and subtly interweave their fingers. "You're fucking freezing, Bones..." Taako's voice was just a tad softer, almost unnoticeably so. Nonetheless, he leaned into the embrace. He had grown accustomed to the chill of his — _dead? undead? arguably alive-ish?_ — boyfriend's skin over the years. Taako had even found himself pining for the feel of Kravitz' icy body huddled against his own and holding him at night when he was off on particularly arduous and demanding jobs for the Raven Queen. The cold was welcomed and almost soothing at this point, though this didn't stop Taako from complaining about it. After all, a Taako that didn't complain was a dead Taako (though Kravitz was adamant that he'd still find a way to complain post-mortem.)

"Also," Angus chimes in as he props himself up to sit on the counter. Usually, Taako would lambast him over this but he was in a good mood. "Flirter is probably not a real word."

"Probably? How can you correct me if you don't rightly know, little mister Boy Detective?" Kravitz jested.

Taako's eyes drifted down to look at Kravitz' hand which was laced into his own as the Reaper gently nestled his gleaming face into his neck. His mind dropped as a discussion between the two continued around him. To say Taako lost was in thought would be an overstatement; Taako was only thinking one thing. _"I love this."_ Over and over. It was so prominent in his mind. _"I love this."_ And as this thought crossed his mind, he smiled. A soft, natural smile that Taako had found himself doing a lot more these days in lieu of his usual wide shit-eating grin.

This moment. He rarely shares his cooking time with others, but this? He knew he'd cherish it in his heart.

His family, of which has grown and grown an abundance from the 6 he spent so many years with, meant _everything_ to him. And cooking meant everything to him. Cooking for _them_ especially. He would usually spend his time cooking in tranquil solitude, Lup being the only exception up until recent years. It was his time. His time to put his heart and soul into each meal just to give them the happiness they give him; the happiness they deserved. Taako's never been good with words or expressing his feelings, but he knows how to show how much he cares. He's never told them — or Kravitz or even Lup for that matter — _"I love you"_ , but they all knew he truly did.

Kravitz, his boyfriend, meant everything to him. Angus, his _son_ , meant everything to him. Son, maybe not by blood, maybe not by right, but son nonetheless. He never said it aloud, but he wasn't scared to think of Angus as his son that anymore. He was scared to be a dad, but not to have a son. He embraced it, embraced Angus.

"Dad? Sir? is uh... is everything... Are you okay?" Angus hopped down from his place on the countertop. His little voice was braided with worry that nearly shattered Taako's heart as he was snapped from his thoughts. He took a few cautious steps towards Taako - towards his _fathers_.

Taako blinked his eyes a few times.

When did he start crying?

Kravitz had, by this point, noticed Taako's form faintly trembling in his arms; shifting slightly to the elf's side to get a glance at his face. "Sweetheart..." He let his embrace tighten and caressed Taako.

" _Fucking idiots_." A whisper escaped under his breath, but it was laced with a begrudged affection that only Taako could harbour. He let his fingers untangle from Kravitz' at his waist and brought his hand up to wipe his now damp cheeks with the sleeve of his lavender thermal shirt. "I hate you both. Like- fucking-" These words were paired with a forced exhale from the nose that was meant to be a half-hearted and subdued gasp of restrained laughter with that coveted gap-toothed grin that Kravitz had come to adore so very much. "Can't a guy be _happy_ for a mome' without you two dipshits riding my ass?" His voice broke, which was natural for Taako's higher-pitched tone, but the way it was stressed made it all too apparent. He sniffled a bit as he beamed brighter, eyes still glassy with tears.

Kravitz pressed his forehead to the nape of his lover's neck, having to lean down slightly to do so. In an almost automatic response, Taako brought his hand up to card his fingers through the Reapers thickly braided locs. A warm smile plays across the bounty hunter's lips. He resolved to turning Taako around and giving him a deep underarm hug, nearly lifting him as he does so.

Still stepping closer, Angus was met with Taako's other hand reaching forward and weakly motioning towards himself. "C'mon, Agnes. Get all up _in_ this awkward-ass hug." Taako made a voice that earned a giggle from the boy. He wiggled jovially, still held tight by the reaper. "You know you wannaaaa." Angus happily obliged though, Kravitz giving him room to promptly dive into the embrace. It was nice, to say the least.

_Family_ is a word that has scared Taako for far too long. If he's gonna love them, he's going to love them selfishly and hold them as close as possible for as long as possible. He gives himself completely, solely to this moment. And as he clutches both the man he's given his heart to and the boy he swore he'd raise, he realizes that he's done being afraid.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, you can follow me on Twitter @taaknoblade (all I do is shitpost about taz, simp for Kravitz and bully Lucas Miller) or Tumblr, also @taaknoblade (I have no clue how to use Tumblr, I just reblog kravitz art). I write a lot of headcanons and have more than a few drafts for other stories that, maybe one day, I'll have the motivation to finish and post.


End file.
